N.Y. Giants: End Zone Continues to Elude Daniel Jones

From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

DAYBREAK!

GAME FOUR

Giants     9

Rams    17

FINAL

Nick Gates Announces His Presence With Authority

Game Four features an interesting development and it centers around ... the center, Nick Gates.  

The rushing game (backfield participants only) through the first three weeks clearly leans heavy right.  Out of 39 total rushes eleven go left, seven up the middle and 21 rushes go right behind Kevin Zeitler and Cam Fleming.  As the trend implies, the Giants rush for minimal positive yardage center/left behind novice center Nick Gates, third year Will Hernandez and rookie Andrew Thomas.  

On Sunday against the Rams and defensive end Aaron Darnold, the Giants buck that three game trend.  Jason Garrett runs right at Darnold and the Giants put up their best rushing totals in four weeks with 136 yards on the ground.  Daniel Jones accounts for 45 yards on six carries.  Devonta Freeman (11), Wayne Gallman (6), Dion Lewis (1) and C.J. Board (1) run for a season high 91 yards.  Seven rushes go left behind Andrew Thomas and Will Hernandez for 29 yards, and nine rushes go up the middles behind Nick Gates for 53 yards.  That's 82 yards of daylight created by the middle/left side - indeed a milestone accomplishment for this group.

Only two rushes go right for eight yards.  I would have stopped there were in not for a pair of offsides penalties called against Kevin Zeitler and Cam Fleming plus the fact that for a series in the second quarter rookie Matt Peart was inserted into the line in place of right tackle Cam Fleming.  All of which makes for a curious albeit acute situation.

With five more sacks by the Rams, the offensive line has now yielded 14 quarterback sacks.  Their average sack per game ranks 30th in the league.

At the end of the game Golden Tate and L.A.'s Jalen Ramsey get into a full blown fight.  The obligatory dog pile ensues.  Then along comes Nick Gates with no helmet barreling into the crowd, pulling and shoving bodies aside.  After creating the most daylight for the running game he looked as if he wanted to knocks someone's lights out completely.

Giants need more guys like this ... clone him.

Cycling back to the game, the offensive line yields five more sacks.  They have now allowed 14 quarterback sacks in four games.  Their average sack per game ranks 30th in the league.

That said, we know Daniel Jones is often negligent in his own undoing.  Trailing 17-9 the Giants have the ball on the Rams 18-yard line with 0:52 left in the fourth quarter.  A touchdown and a two point conversion tie the game.  On second and five, Jones throws a pass intended for Damion Ratley.  The ball is under thrown and intercepted by Darious Williams.  Jones has now thrown five interceptions - at least one in every game - but has yet to throw a touchdown pass since Week One against Pittsburgh when he threw his only two of the season.

As an aside, why is this play going to Damion Ratley in the first place?  He caught his first pass of the season last week against the Niners.  This was his third and last target of the game.  He caught all of 25 passes over two seasons with the Browns.  This is who Jason Garrett is targeting inside the red zone with the game on the line ....

In any event, the regressing Daniel Jones turns in his second straight sub 200 yard performance on a day the defense and running game turn in their best performances to date.  

Sunday's game sort of reaffirms the defensive performance during weeks one and two, leaving their poor play against the Niners alone as the aberration.